Process for making grape-sugar.



No Drawing.

' UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE.

eos'rn EKs'rRoM, or 'LIMHAMN, SWEDEN.-

PROCESS FOR MAKING GRAPE-SUGAR.

Specification of Letters Iate nt. Patented Sept. 13, 1910. Applicationfiled August 22, 1907. Serial No. 389,608.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gos'rAExs'raoM, engineer, who is a citizen of theKingdom of Sweden, residing at Limhamn, Sweden, have invented a new anduseful Process for Makin Grape-Sugar; and I do hereby declare t efollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a new and improved process for making grapesugar.

It relates particularly to a process for making grape sugar from acidcellulose.

To carry out my invention, I first prepare my acid' cellulose, and Ihave found the following method to produce a satisfactory product. Takesaw dust (or some other finely-divided cellulose containing material)and sulfuric acid of 70 per cent. and stir them together for about 20minutes at an ordinar temperature (about 20 Throug the operation of theacidthe cellulose matter becomes liquid, while a formation ofacid-cellulose takes place. By treating acid cellulose with concentratedacid (during which precautions may or may not be taken), theacid-cellulose will precipitate like a jelly, which remains when t esulfuric acid, now (through dilution with the water) only 30'per cent isremoved. To the remaming acid-cellulose matter, which still retains someacid, water is added, till it contains about 1 per cent. of sulfuricacid. The acid cellulose is, in reality, a unity, not a compoundsubstance. It contains the carboxyl group, and has consequently thecharacter of an acid, it reacts sour and possesses no aldehydequalities.

The above described process of producing acid cellulose is described infending application, Serial No. 352105, fi e Jan.

.By treatin the acid cellulose with acid it is trans ormed into cellose,soluble in water. By' adding water so as to dilute the acid and boilingafterward under atmos heric pressure the cellose is then converted intogrape sugar, which after preaqueous solution.

cipitation of the acid is obtained in an As at resent practiced, 1 part(by weight) of acid cellulose is mixed 1n a suitable apparatus with 1-1ipart concentrated sulfuric acid (70-95%) and the whole kneaded, until ahomogeneous dense paste is the result. During the aforesaid mixing andkneading, the composition is subjected to heat of about, but not morethan, 100 (1., and kept at said temperature for some time, while alsobeing stirred continuously. The acid cellulose will then be found tohave been converted into cellose soluble in water, and, upon addition ofwater (preferably in quantity from three to four times-by weightof thepaste), so as the acid is diluted the mixture is boiled, under ressureof the atmosphere, for from one-ha f to one hour. U on cessation of theboiling, the mixture is ltered, the acid is neutralized, by the additionof chalk for in stance, and the grape sugar can then be separated fromthe solution, or alcohol can be produced by fermentation of the sugar..

Other concentrated mineral acids may also be used instead of sulfuricacid for the transforming of acid cellulose into grape sugar.

What I claim is;

Aiprocess for obtaining grape sugar from acid cellulose, consisting inmixing acid cellulose with sufiicient concentrated mineral acid to forma paste, meanwhile heating the mixture to not more than 100 C. until the

